POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION
Do you microchip?

Trevor Turner, B. Vet. Med., MRCVS

DO YOU REGULARLY SCAN?

How many of you, I wonder, actually scan incoming dogs and cats for the presence of a microchip? I must admit this has only come to mind after a rather bizarre incident on which I was asked to give an opinion. A pure bred yellow Labrador regularly boarded at the kennels. He was left in early summer by the wife who was known to the proprietor. All the necessary paperwork was satisfactorily completed. The dog was to be boarded for about two weeks.

Three days later the husband, also known to the kennels' proprietor, rang to ask if they could collect the dog since something 'had cropped up.' The dog was released without question. A further ten days passed and then - you've guessed it - the wife arrived to collect the dog and was dumbfounded to be told the news that he had been collected ten days previously. It appears the couple had split up. The dog was the subject of dispute. The wife subsequently reported the dog as stolen by the husband giving an exact description of the dog plus its microchip number. The dog was retrieved and taken to the wife for identification. She alleged that the dog was not the one that she had left at the kennels and, no microchip could be found!

Unfortunately, although the chip number was recorded with the boarding details the kennels had not routinely scanned it and therefore, to this day, we do not know whether the dog that was originally brought in by the wife actually bore any microchip. In other words, was it actually the dog it was purported to be?

We shall never know!

I can see you asking, is microchipping that reliable anyway?

DO CHIPS GET LOST?

The answer is yes, very occasionally. Readers probably are aware that for several years at Crufts the Kennel Club have offered a limited free microchipping service to exhibitors. This is possible due to the generous sponsorship of Petlog and the chip suppliers and is a positive way of saying thank you for exhibiting and reinforcing the belief of the Kennel Club in this positive method of identification.

Over the last seven years over 1000 microchips have been inserted and to date there have only been two cases reported to me, as senior veterinary surgeon, of those inserted chips becoming lost or unreadable. However it does happen and in practice every so often microchips are reported as lost.

WHAT HAPPENS IF THE CHIP BECOMES UNREADABLE?

WHAT ARE THE DISADVANTAGES?

Clearly microchipping is not an infallible means of identification. It can fail occasionally and does have disadvantages. The early scare-mongering stories of migration of the chip to the brain and other vital organs, in my experience, has not stood the test of close scrutiny. I have been involved in one or two such investigations and can state unequivocally that the only migration that has occurred in my experience has been subcutaneous (under the skin), and usually only a few centimetres.

A dog of my own which was microchipped approximately ten years ago now carries the chip on her sternum, between the front legs, a fair distance from the implantation site between the shoulders. If I was going to take this dog abroad and then hope to re-enter the UK under the PETS scheme I would be in trouble if I was unaware of this. It is the responsibility of the approved carriers to check the chip against the documentation supplied. The official at the port of entry will check for the chip in the normal position between the shoulder blades. If it is not found, the pet has to be temporarily licensed into quarantine or returned from whence it came until satisfactory identification has been established. It is for this reason that with some of the earlier chips that don't meet the ISO standards, (such as that carried by my own bitch), it is advised that if there has been any chip migration a note of the present position is made. It is also prudent to carry your own reader that will identify the chip in such circumstances.

This is another reason why that on chip insertion it is advised that owners ensure the pet is scanned as often as possible, particularly if you are going to travel abroad under PETS. This is to ensure that the chip is in place and is readable.

Another disadvantage often cited by those not in favour of microchips is that it is not a visible means of identification and unless a compatible reader is to hand, positive identification is impossible. This was true initially. When standardised 150 chips first became available, one of the problems was to ensure that sufficient compatible readers were available for police, RSPCA inspectors, dog wardens, rescue centres and veterinary practices. This problem has been largely addressed. Due to training, publicity and familiarity, readers are now routinely used whenever an unknown dog or cat is presented. Having said that I have to admit that when examining some case animals whose microchip registration number is disclosed to me I have been known to omit to confirm that number on initial examination.

Thus the question posed at the beginning of this piece, do you regularly check for a microchip?

I think it is worthwhile. The cost of microchipping includes the free registration on the database with Petlog.

PETLOG PLUS

In 2003 Petlog Plus was introduced for a one-off payment of £10. This carries worthwhile additional benefits in addition to the basic Petlog entry which is included in the price of the microchip. Not only are the pet¹s details registered on the database but there are additional benefits including addition of temporary or holiday contact details and also additional carers if the pet is being looked after by someone else during your absence. There is also a unique lost and found service exclusive to Petlog Plus. Once you report a lost pet (which can be via text message, web or telephone) a lost pet alert email is immediately distributed to all relevant authorities in the local area. I can vouch for the efficiency of this service since I frequently receive advice of pets lost within a thirty miles radius of my address. There are also many other services available from Petlog Plus. These include the ability to download lost pet posters, also members of Petlog Plus can view a list of lost pets in their particular area, thus helping other owners to be re-united with their pets.

HOW DOES MICROCHIPPING COMPARE WITH OTHER FORMS OF POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION?

My view, based on experience, is that it is more reliable. When I first went into practice I encouraged all clients to ensure that dogs, and as many cats as possible, carried identification in the form of a collar and name tag. These although helpful (and indeed mandatory under many local authority bylaws covering dogs) nevertheless are subject to a high failure rate. Many dogs are lost solely because they have slipped their collar and thus their tag.

Tattooing was the next “positive” identification system and to this day many dogs in particular have been returned to owners as a result of an identifiable tattoo. However my experience is that frequently, over time, the tattoo becomes illegible and it was for this reason that in the drafting of the Dangerous Dogs legislation, Section 1 dogs, primarily Pit Bull Terriers, had to carry not only a tattoo but also a microchip. Tattooing has also never really caught on with cats - for a variety of reasons.

Certainly in my experience microchipping has resulted in far less “failures” than any of the other systems presently in the use.

WHO CAN MICROCHIP?

It should be remembered that microchipping is not regarded as an act of veterinary surgery and therefore does not have to be carried out by a veterinary surgeon or a listed veterinary nurse. Courses are available. For example one is run by the College of Animal Welfare. Once the technique is mastered you are in business and can legitimately undertake the procedure.

Several breeders I know offer this service both from their kennels and also at certain shows. The cost is usually less than that charged at veterinary practices and it seems to me that this could be an additional source of income for kennel owners. After all if you follow advice you will have a scanner to help identify incoming stock, strays etc and also those animals that owners allege have been microchipped.

Let me have your thoughts?